Chronic Pain Under Reported

More than 20 percent of U.S. adults with chronic pain do not seek physician help for their pain according to the research published by the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2,211 patients reported suffering pain for more than three months but had not informed their physician.

Speculation for the reasons for not seeking treatment include factors like bad experiences with pain care, fear of doctors, perceived lack of effective treatments and barriers to health care such as lack of medical insurance according to study author Dr. Barbara Yawn.